Ukraine’s military said on Monday that Russian forces used a six-day ceasefire in Oleshky to reinforce positions and boost logistics. While nearly 800 people got evacuated during the humanitarian pause, officials noted that the enemy used the time to rotate units and expand anti-drone defenses, potentially intensifying future hostilities.
Ukraine's military on Monday accused Russian forces of using a six-day ceasefire in the Russian-occupied southern town of Oleshky to reinforce their positions and step up military logistics, as fighting resumed in the Kherson region after the humanitarian pause ended. Ukraine's General Staff said Russian forces had rotated units, fortified positions, expanded anti-drone defences along roads and increased logistical activity, including deliveries of ammunition, during the truce. The ceasefire was arranged to facilitate a humanitarian operation in Oleshky, allowing aid supplies to reach the town and civilians to be evacuated.
Nearly 800 people were evacuated during the operation, US First Lady Melania Trump said in a post on X. "Under the ceasefire introduced for the humanitarian operation in Oleshky, units of the Defence Forces of Ukraine ensured that the ceasefire was observed and acted exclusively within the framework of the agreements reached," Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement. "The enemy, by contrast, used the humanitarian pause to improve its positions," it added. Ukraine says Russian troops and military equipment moved during truce Ukraine's military said it had observed Russian units rotating and strengthening their positions during the ceasefire.
It also reported an expansion of anti-drone measures along roads and increased logistical activity. British broadcaster Sky News published drone footage from a Ukrainian marine brigade's command centre showing Russian armoured vehicles and soldiers moving through Oleshky. The footage also showed troops carrying supplies into buildings with basements. Lieutenant Colonel Dmytro Pulinets, commander of Ukraine's 34th Separate Marine Brigade, told Sky News that Russian troops had previously been unable to move freely along the roads but had travelled continuously during the ceasefire, both during the day and at night.
The brigade warned residents of the Kherson region not to ignore air raid sirens, saying Russia had used the pause to strengthen its military capabilities. It said there were reasons to expect an intensification of hostilities. Ukraine's General Staff said the humanitarian operation had enabled aid to reach its intended destination and Ukrainian citizens who wanted to leave Oleshky to return to territory under Kyiv's control. Kremlin says Ukraine may have regrouped during Oleshky truce The Kremlin said on Monday that it assumed Ukrainian forces had also used the ceasefire to regroup, describing such activity as standard military practice.
Asked about Kyiv's allegation that Russian troops had strengthened their positions, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the matter should be referred to Russia's Defence Ministry. "It is safe to assume that the Ukrainian armed forces also used this period to regroup and so on. This is standard practice in such situations," Peskov told reporters. However, he said he was not familiar with the specifics of Russian military activity during the ceasefire. Peskov also said no similar local ceasefires to facilitate humanitarian operations were planned for now. Ukraine's Ombudsman for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said on Sunday that both sides had upheld their commitments throughout the ceasefire.
Russian attacks resume in Kherson region after ceasefire ends The ceasefire, which took effect on October 27, ended on Sunday, November 1, after nearly seven days. It was the longest local pause in fighting since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russian forces resumed attacks in the Kherson region on Monday, Ukrainian authorities said. Local officials reported that a drone struck a car in the Korabelny district of Kherson at around 8 am, injuring a 62-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man. Both were hospitalised. Yaroslav Shanko, head of the Kherson City Military Administration, separately reported a drone strike in the city centre on Monday, saying no casualties had been reported in that incident.
Regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said Russian forces had shelled and attacked 16 settlements in Ukrainian-controlled parts of the region, including Kherson, using drones and aircraft in the 24 hours leading up to 0400 GMT on Monday. Separately, Russian attacks killed one person in Izium, in the northeastern Kharkiv region, according to the local governor. Oleshky has been under Russian occupation and lies across the Dnipro River from Kherson, which remains under Ukrainian control. The humanitarian pause had allowed supplies to be delivered to the town and residents wishing to leave to reach Ukrainian-controlled territory.
The ceasefire was arranged through humanitarian efforts involving Melania Trump and Pope Leo. Russia had rejected a Ukrainian offer to extend the truce, a senior Ukrainian figure told AFP on Sunday. US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine are expected to resume this month. However, the Kremlin has repeatedly rejected calls for a broader ceasefire. (With Reuters inputs)